Ruth E. Carter, costume designer for “Black Panther,” praised comic book publisher and creator Stan Lee, calling him a “trailblazer” for championing civil rights, dating back to the ’60s when he created the character of Black Panther. The Marvel Comics patriarch, who passed away last week, created many beloved characters — like Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men — but Black Panther stands out as an example of Lee (pictured) using his influence to advance civil rights.

Carter has been in the entertainment industry since the late ’80s and has worked as a costume designer on many projects that portray civil rights issues, including “Selma” and “Malcolm X.”

Bold Life asked Carter how she’s seen the industry change in the way it portrays black culture, and she told us, “Well, there are more of us, and there are more stories…There’s so many more filmmakers that are doing their thing and breaking ground. And soon we won’t be ‘firsts’ anymore. We’ll be 10th, 12th, 20th.”